Corruption in Honduras: Political shock

In a video, the president’s brother-in-law negotiates with drug capos about campaign financing. Xiomara Castro’s credibility is shaken.

Protest for the president’s resignation in the capital Photo: epa

Hamburg taz | A video has caused a scandal in Honduras, the impact of which can hardly be underestimated. On September 3, the investigative online portal published Insight into crime An analysis of how far the influence of narco gangs extends into the political structures.

As evidence, the editorial team published a video in which Carlos Zelaya, brother-in-law of the president and leading figure of the Libre party, can be seen with well-known drug capos. The 34-minute video from 2013 is proof that “Libre” at least had and possibly still has contact with the economically powerful drug gangs and possibly accepted money during the 2013 election campaign.

The latter cannot be proven to date. However, the video is a disaster for President Xiomara Castro, who ran in 2022 to democratize Honduras, strengthen the judiciary and fight corruption at all levels.

“She is faced with the ruins of her politics and has lost a lot of credibility.” “Especially since her handling of this scandal is shocking,” criticizes human rights lawyer Joaquín Mejía to the taz and continues: “Xiomara Castro unilaterally cancelled the extradition agreement with the USA a few days before the report and video were published on August 28.” “Did she act in the interests of her family?” asks the 47-year-old internationally well-connected lawyer.

It is important to note that the editorial staff of Insight into crime A few days before the report and video were published, the president was asked for a statement. Xiomara Castro also knew roughly how explosive the video would be.

In it, Carlos Zelaya, a key figure in the Libre faction in parliament, can be seen meeting with several well-known drug capos, including Devis and Javier Rivera from the drug gang “Los Cachiros”. They offered Zelaya and his party “Libre” around half a million US dollars for the election campaign – it is unclear whether the money was paid. However, the video is evidence that the left-wing party, founded in 2011, already had direct contacts with organized crime in 2013.

The fact that drug gangs have long since infiltrated Honduran politics is nothing new: the trial of former President Juan Orlando Hernández in the USA at the beginning of the year revealed many details about the network surrounding the narco president and his National Party. Hernández, known in Honduras as JOH, was sentenced to 45 years in prison in June for large-scale drug smuggling. What is new, however, is that the “Libre” party, which likes to portray itself as a champion of corruption and organized crime, also has a problem with the infiltration of its structures.

This is exactly what the president tried to downplay. In a televised address to the nation on September 3, she took aim at the other parties and their narco-connections and tried to distract from the real scandal. Joaquín Mejía and the prominent Jesuit priest Ismael Soto Morena criticize this. Morena, known in Honduras only as Padre Melo, advocates maintaining the extradition agreement. “It is the most important tool against drug gangs, because our justice system is extremely fragile.”

In fact, the current government has done too little to strengthen the independence of the judiciary. For example, the UN Commission against Corruption and Impunity, one of the president’s campaign promises, is still not a reality, even 28 months after she was sworn in. The judiciary is also moving slowly. Just a few days ago, the Attorney General presented a list of 30 names of people who are under investigation. The list includes the names of Carlos and Manuel Zelaya, as well as former Defense Minister Héctor Manuel Zelaya – all of whom are related to the president.

Relations with the USA have been severely strained for weeks. The government in Tegucigalpa was one of the first countries in the region to recognize the election victory of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which was probably deliberately manipulated. This, as well as a meeting between Defense Minister Héctor Manuel Zelaya and his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino, have caused the bilateral climate to sink to freezing point. “The USA fears that Honduras could become another Venezuela or Nicaragua.” “They are heading for confrontation with Xiomara Castro and Libre,” explains Padre Melo. The political crisis in Honduras could hardly be more serious.